Her unique skills keep her safe. Until her greatest strength becomes her fatal weakness.Princess Christal of Larrochar learned long ago that to marry was to risk her life. At twenty-eight she’s resolutely unwed, trusted assistant to the King’s Cultivator and an expert in rare plants. Then, to her horror, she receives a marriage proposal she can’t refuse. All Prince Daire of Caldermor cares about … Daire of Caldermor cares about is elan—the mysterious golden beans that bring his family untold wealth and power. If Daire wants Christal, elan must be at the root of his interest.
Christal’s father would sacrifice her to discover elan’s secrets. The Calderrans would kill to keep them secure. To save herself Christal will need every kernel of knowledge she’s ever gleaned. And the support of Kiran Randsen, elite soldier turned Calderran bodyguard, who may be something even rarer than elan—a man she’d trust with her life.
The Seeds of Poweris the first book in the Elan Intrigues fantasy romance series. If you like strong heroines, chivalrous heroes, natural magic, and life-or-death stakes, then you’ll love this powerful historical fantasy by award-winning author Jilly Wood.
Dig in to The Seeds of Power and share Christal’s adventure today!
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The Seeds of Power is a fantastic book that takes royal intrigue to a new level. Two kingdoms attempt a marriage alliance which will benefit both countries because of magical beans. Yes, I did say magical beans. No, this is not Jack and the Beanstalk. But I bet you’re interested now, right?
As a botanist, Princess Christal knows a lot about crops and blights and insects. She also cares a great deal about helping her people. But she knows that her marriage is a matter of contracts and bargains and ultimately about the good it will bring for her family and her kingdom. Her sister died shortly after her marriage to a cruel man, and Christal has long assumed it would be her fate as well. Now it appears she can no longer avoid it.
Prince Daire is much younger than Christal and also something of an idiot. But his mother is in charge and she wants him to marry Christal, so he’ll do his duty. Christal’s skills are necessary for a problem with a top-secret crop that they will do anything to protect. But once she’s solved their problems, will there still be a need for her or will she be considered an unnecessary risk to national security?
There are a lot of fun twists. Princess Christal is quite clever and she’s not the only one. The story had a lot of unique ideas and interesting ways of connecting all of those ideas. While the end wrapped up neatly, there were a lot of changes, so the next book will tend to look quite different due to changes in the governing structure, the shifting lifestyles of the royals, and even which country the story will take place in.
My only critique is that there were several scenes that didn’t fit the style of the book. In general, the author was very descriptive, as well as poetic in her word choices. But there is a scene in which Christal expresses that she doesn’t know much about passion in a relationship and a scene with the couple undressing each other the night after their wedding that felt a bit too raw to fit the kind way people were described or spoke to each other previously in the story. The first was necessary to the story, but the writing felt wrong. The second scene didn’t feel essential to the story at all – our imaginations could have filled it in for us.
Overall, I loved the book and look forward to reading book two.
I received an advanced review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I really enjoyed this book and am glad I got to read it. The characters are well developed and complex and the story building was excellent I highly recommend it!
I received an advanced review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
a little burp:
The Seeds of Power is the first book in the Elan Intrigues series. A romantic fantasy, the story centers around Christal, a twenty-eight-year-old princess who balks at the idea of marriage. Seeing is as a death sentence, she is shocked when her father promises her to a vain and vacuous prince.
my thoughts:
the unique skills are keeping Christal safe. it has an intressting plots, good world building, and it kept my attention through the hole book.
im defently intressed to read book 2 in this serie.
Think Game of Thrones – with a lot less gore!
Jilly Wood has set the scene for what looks like a cracking series – with feisty heroines, strapping chaps and a cast a characters that seem destined for their own book. She writes very well, and the pace is brisk through this well-plotted and intriguing debut novel.
Princess Christal has some definite ideas about staying single – based on her knowledge of what happens to brides who are traded for political power – and has built her own protection through her skills in cultivation. She’s dismayed at Daire Edevald’s offer of marriage and he’s rather bemused at her refusal -after all, he’s handsome, cultured and a prince – what else could a girl want? Wriggling out of a public proposal, Christal meets the Prince’s man, Kiran Ramsden, a blunt soldier who’s drawn to her fierce independence, courage and strength. It will certainly take all Christal’s ingenuity to evade this match made in hell, devised by her parents and Daire’s mother, the wonderfully calculating Princess Irmine, who has as much motherly feeling as your average ice block.
It’s a cracking read, with some fabulous world building which is laid very lightly over the excellent plot, and I’m already looking forward to the next in the series.
This is the first in Jilly’s new Elan Intrigues series and I’m hooked! While there was a clear (and great) resolution at the end, you’re left with no doubt that there’s more, and I can’t wait to see what happens next. I loved the characters — they’re all unique and they hold their own. It was a page-turner that I couldn’t put down!